Rip Curl

What Rip Curl does

Rip Curl is a designer, manufacturer, and retailer of surf apparel, wetsuits, boardshorts, swimwear, and surf watches, founded in 1969 at Bells Beach, Australia, and operating today as a wholly owned subsidiary of KMD Brands (NZX-listed). The company's core product portfolio is built around proprietary materials technologies — E-Bomb super-stretch neoprene, Flashbomb wetsuit construction, Mirage 4-way stretch boardshorts with E-Waistband and E7 quick-dry treatment, and the Search GPS 3 surf watch — augmented by a 2024 launch of the Variloom-co-developed Mirage3DP Boardshort using patent-pending biobased TPU. Rip Curl distributes through owned DTC e-commerce on five regional Shopify storefronts (ripcurl.com/.com.au/.eu/.co.nz/.ch/.co.uk), a global network of company-owned retail and outlet stores concentrated in California, Hawaii, Florida, British Columbia, Australia, and parts of Europe and South America, and the Club Rip Curl loyalty program that links purchases to surf-activity engagement.

The company's revenue model is primarily one-time unit sales of physical goods across men's, women's, and kids' categories, supplemented by subscription-style loyalty economics through Club Rip Curl (free membership, 100 points per $1, points-based rewards). Pricing is stratified across tiers — boardshorts at $44.95-$89.95, wetsuits from approximately $199.95 to over $400, and watches from $249.95 — enabling both entry-level and premium positioning. Customer segments are horizontal across surfers, beach-lifestyle consumers, and youth/grom markets, with sales geographically diversified across North America, Oceania, Europe, and South America. Strategic priorities evidenced in the data are DTC channel growth, flagship-store expansion in under-penetrated regions, sustainability-led product innovation (B Corp certification 2025; ISPO Award 2024), selective lifestyle co-branding (Citroën concept, Nov 2025), and cost discipline through the KMD Brands group restructure (21 store closures, 6 new openings, Shopify migration, NZ$25 million target savings).

Name

Rip Curl

Legal name

Rip Curl

Website

https://ripcurl.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Rip Curl designs, manufactures, and retails premium surf apparel, wetsuits, boardshorts, and surf watches for men, women, and kids. Founded in 1969 at Bells Beach, Australia, it operates globally through DTC e-commerce and owned retail stores under parent KMD Brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Surf Apparel and Wetsuits

NAICS

Sporting Goods Retailers (45911)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Women's, Misses', And Juniors Outerwear (2330)

akta.pro primary industry

Swim & Surf Performance Wear (CRAAAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Apparel & Footwear Retail (Wetsuits, Rash Guards, Deck Shoes) (CRAMAIAJ), Water Sports & Marine Recreation Retail (Paddle/Surf/Dive/Boat Accessories) (CRAMABAI)

Keywords

• Surf apparel
• Wetsuit manufacturing
• Performance boardshorts
• Surf accessories
• Beach lifestyle clothing

Headquarters

HQ city

Torquay

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Revenue from selling surf apparel including wetsuits, boardshorts, swimwear, outerwear, accessories, and watches through owned retail and e-commerce channels.
2. Retail Store Operations: Direct retail sales through company-owned flagship stores across Australia, Hawaii, Europe, and South America.
3. Club Rip Curl Loyalty Program: Points-based loyalty program where members earn points ($1 = 100 points) on purchases and can redeem for rewards, driving customer retention and engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rip Curl designs, manufactures, and retails surf apparel and accessories, including boardshorts (Mirage, Boardwalk, Volley), wetsuits (E-Bomb, Flashbomb, Springsuits), women's swimwear, surf lifestyle clothing, accessories, and the Search GPS 3 surf watch. Products are sold globally through the company's e-commerce platform, regional websites, and company-owned flagship and outlet stores across Australia, the US, Europe, and South America.

Product overview

Rip Curl is a surf apparel and accessories company founded in 1969 at Bells Beach, Australia, offering a comprehensive product portfolio centered around surfing and beach lifestyle. The core offerings include boardshorts (Mirage, Boardwalk, and Volley styles), wetsuits (E-Bomb, Flash-bomb, and Springsuits), swimwear, apparel, and the Search GPS 3 Watch. The product range spans men's, women's, and kids' categories, organized into branded collections like Panel Beater, Liquid Trips, The Search, and Eddie Would Go for men, and Topanga Canyon, Half Moon Bay, and Premium Surf for women. The company operates a Shopify-powered ecommerce platform with Club Rip Curl loyalty program, and maintains a B Corp Certification reflecting its sustainability commitment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mirage: Performance boardshort collection engineered with 4-way stretch and E-Waistband for surfing
• E-Bomb
• Flashbomb
• Boardwalk
• Volley
• Club Rip Curl
• Search GPS

Products and services

• Rip Curl Boardshorts Signature surf boardshorts engineered in three performance tiers — Mirage with 4-way stretch and E-Waistband for active surfing, Boardwalk for relaxed all-day wear, and Volley for athletic cuts — sold to surfers and beach lifestyle consumers in men's, women's, and kids' sizing.
• Rip Curl Wetsuits Premium neoprene wetsuits sold under the E-Bomb, Flashbomb/Fusion, and Springsuit lines for surfers seeking thermal protection, flexibility, and durability across varying water temperatures and conditions, in men's, women's, and kids' sizing.
• Search GPS 3 Watch GPS-enabled surf watch for surfers that tracks session data including location, tide information, and wave mapping, sold as a standalone hardware product priced at $249.95.
• Rip Curl Women's Swimwear Women's swimwear line including bikini tops, bikini bottoms, one-pieces, sets, rash vests, surf suits, and cover-ups, designed for active water sports and beach lifestyle use across curated destination-inspired collections.
• Rip Curl Surf Apparel & Clothing Surf lifestyle clothing collection covering tees, tanks, shirts, polos, fleece, sweaters, hoodies, jackets, pants, dresses, and rompers for men, women, and kids across curated collections including Panel Beater, Liquid Trips, The Search, Eddie Would Go, Icons Of Surf, Topanga Canyon, Half Moon Bay, Farm Rio, and Premium Surf.
• Rip Curl Accessories Surf and travel accessories including backpacks, bags, luggage, hats, beanies, wallets, purses, surfboard covers, snow gear, sandals, slides, towels, and watches for men, women, and kids.
• Mirage 3DP Boardshort 3D-printed boardshort produced with Variloom using patent-pending biobased TPU material engineered for on-demand manufacturing and mechanical recyclability up to three times, positioned as Rip Curl's sustainable innovation surf product.
• Club Rip Curl Loyalty Program Free loyalty program rewarding customers with points on purchases (100 points per $1 spent) and surfing activities, plus birthday vouchers, free shipping over $50, and an extended 40-day return window for members.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.1% revenue increase to NZ$550.4 million in FY25
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• CitroënminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 November 2025Partnership to unveil the Concept Citroën Ami Buggy Rip Curl Vision during an event in Hossegor from November 4-8, 2025. Collaboration highlights shared values of adventure, innovation, and sustainability, with the new model emphasizing surfing culture and environmentally friendly design.
• VariloomcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology partnership for developing 3D-printed surf apparel using Variloom's patent-pending biobased TPU material. The collaboration produced the Mirage3DP Boardshort, which won an ISPO Award in 2024. Material can be mechanically recycled up to three times without losing integrity.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Quiksilver: One of the original "Big Three" surf brands alongside Rip Curl and Billabong, offering boardshorts, wetsuits, snow apparel, and surf accessories to the same core surf demographic. Direct head-to-head competitor in wetsuits, boardshorts, and men's surf apparel categories with overlapping athlete sponsorship strategies.
• Billabong: Australian-founded surf apparel and accessories brand directly competing with Rip Curl across boardshorts, wetsuits, and surf lifestyle apparel for the same core surf and beach-lifestyle consumer. Both brands share heritage founded at iconic Australian breaks and have parallel DTC and wholesale distribution models.
• O'Neill: California-originated surf brand founded in 1952 with deep heritage in wetsuits and surf apparel, competing directly with Rip Curl's E-Bomb and Flashbomb wetsuit lines and boardshort offerings. Overlapping target customer of performance-oriented surfers and similar DTC-plus-wholesale retail model.
• Hurley: Surf-inspired apparel and accessories brand owned by Nike, competing with Rip Curl in boardshorts, wetsuits, and men's surf apparel. Benefits from Nike's brand-building and athlete-marketing infrastructure, making it a well-capitalized direct competitor with strong distribution and youth appeal.
• Roxy: Women's surf and beach lifestyle brand (sister brand to Quiksilver) competing directly with Rip Curl's women's swimwear, wetsuit, and surf apparel lines. Same target consumer of active female surfers and beach lifestyle buyers, with overlapping product categories and retail distribution channels.

Emerging players

• Outerknown: Sustainable surf apparel brand founded by 11x world champion Kelly Slater and John Moore, directly competing with Rip Curl in men's and women's surf apparel with a sustainability-led value proposition. Represents an emerging threat in the premium sustainable surf segment where Rip Curl is also investing via the Mirage 3DP Boardshort and B Corp certification.
• RVCA: Action sports and surf-lifestyle apparel brand with artist and athlete-driven collections, competing with Rip Curl in the surf lifestyle apparel segment with a more streetwear-influenced aesthetic. Targets overlapping consumers in the 18-34 surf and beach-lifestyle demographic with curated capsule collections.

Broad incumbents

• Vans: Action sports and lifestyle brand (owned by VF Corporation) with deep roots in surf and skate culture, competing for the same youth surf-lifestyle consumer through footwear, apparel, and accessories. While not a wetsuit or surf-specialist brand, Vans captures significant share of the surf-adjacent apparel and footwear wallet.
• Patagonia: Established outdoor and surf apparel brand with broad product portfolio spanning surf, climbing, skiing, and casual lifestyle wear. Competes with Rip Curl in wetsuits, surf apparel, and the surf lifestyle segment, while bringing stronger sustainability credentials and a broader consumer base that overlaps with Rip Curl's beach-lifestyle buyer.
• Billabong (already listed): Action sports and surf lifestyle brand (owned by Authentic Brands Group) competing with Rip Curl across men's boardshorts, surf apparel, and wetsuits. Brings board-sport heritage and youth-oriented marketing that overlaps with Rip Curl's target consumer, particularly in the men's surf apparel category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/RipCurlAsia
• Facebookfacebook.com/ripcurl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rip-curl

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Rip Curl